This invention relates to a carrier for circular objects, especially sporting articles such as balls or pucks. Practice for sports involving balls or pucks generally calls for more than one (ball or puck) allowing repetition of the same movement. Because of their round shape, more than one of these items is difficult to handle. The present invention provides a secure carrier which allows playing pieces to be inserted and removed individually. Although the pieces are loosely trapped in the carrier, the pieces cannot move within the carrier between the available spaces. In different embodiments the carrier is designed to accommodate extra attachments such as a water bottle or other accessories and to be supported by the appropriate hockey stick, bat, racquet, etc. In addition the carrier's one piece plastic construction is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and adds minimal extra bulk. Other carriers of this nature have more complicated structure such as Canadian patent 797,071; or, as shown in Canadian patent 967,607, will only accommodate one playing ball.
Coin holders as shown in Canadian patents 1,056,343 or 1,122,170 disclose a similar structure to the hockey puck model; however, they depend on being fully loaded to work properly. In the structure shown in Najjar (U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,118) and Webster (U.K. 457,154), individual pieces cannot be removed or inserted into individually selected positions. Convenient carrying is another advantage provided in the present invention and not disclosed in other carriers.
Accordingly, this invention provides a carrier for at least one circular object having a diameter comprising an elongate hollow body, C-shaped in cross-section, of resilient material, having two side walls, a rear wall, and an open front wall, the front and rear walls being substantially flat; the front wall being two flanges extending inwardly from each of the side walls substantially parallel to the rear wall; the rear wall joining the side walls; and a trapping means for the or each circular object, allowing the object to be pressed into or removed from the trapping means from the front of the carrier, comprising in combination a hole in the rear wall of a dimension smaller than the diameter of the object; a notch in each of the front wall flanges in opposed relationship, having inwardly facing edges aligned with the hole in the rear wall; wherein the trapping means defines an opening between the notch edges marginally smaller in dimension than the diameter of the object, and a space within the carrier defined by the notch edges, the depth of the side walls, and the hole in the rear wall sufficient to entrap loosely each circular object; whereby the object engages the side edges of the notches to flex apart the side walls when the object is inserted or removed.
Objects can be removed or introduced by forcing the object through the opening between the notches causing the side walls of the hollow body to flex apart wide enough to release or admit a single object. Additional attachment means may be provided for supporting the carrier and for supporting additional accessories on the carrier.